‘Starbucks Express,’ the specialty coffee company’s mobile unit, unveiled
Starbucks Puerto Rico unveiled its new “Starbucks Express,” mobile coffee shop concept — the first of its kind in Latin America and one of the few in the world, company executives said.
Starbucks Express joins the 26 stores that the company has on the island. Weighing in at 16,000 pounds and measuring 32 feet long by eight feet wide, the coffee truck is run by a team of six people on a 12-hour schedule starting at 6 a.m.
“Starbucks Express is not a food truck, it’s much more,” said Virginia Rivera, director of marketing, category leader and social impact for Starbucks, ensuring that the mobile unit will maintain the quality, flavor and service to which customers are accustomed.
The “Starbucks Express” will feature the same menu of artisanal coffee-based beverages, as well as a selection of light food and pastries, she said.
“We want to be closer to the client because our business is not about coffee, it’s about human connection,” said Idis Ortíz-López, general manager of Baristas del Caribe, which owns the Starbucks franchise in Puerto Rico.
The unit will be taken to events throughout the island.
“The mobility of ‘Starbucks Express’ is part of our strategic plan as it helps us complete our expansion plan,” said Ortíz-López. “It allows us to learn about the markets and places before building new stores.”
